Run
by PaigeLynnXx
Summary: "These things aren't sick, they're not people. They're dead. They're things that killed people and they'll kill us too. If you want to live, if you want to survive…You gotta fight for it. I'm talking about fight for it! Right here, Right now! At least I can say that when the world went to hell, I didn't go with it."
1. Chapter 1

**RUN  
****RATED: M**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything pertaining to The Walking Dead, nor do I claim to!**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, this is my first fanfiction in many years. It may take me a couple of chapters to get back into the swing of things, so please bear with me. The story takes place right after the mid-season finale when the prison falls and all of the characters are separated and spread out. Also, please note that this story is mostly going to surround Beth and Daryl; however I will be bringing some of the other characters into the mix throughout the story.**

* * *

**HEARTBREAK **(_noun_)** 1. **Overwhelming distress. **2.** The absolute worst feeling in the world and the hardest to describe. When you feel like you're watching life go by on fast forward, and you're sitting on pause. And you have to keep moving. No matter what, just keep moving, trying to catch up...because if you stop for just a second, you will forever be behind.

No word could describe this strange world that they now lived in. No word could describe the fact that the dead now walked among the living in an almost fearful harmony, an agreement where if you didn't run, they would catch up and painfully turn you into one of them. It was the exact word that summed up all of the feelings and emotions that lay heavy on the hearts and the shoulders of the scruffy redneck and the farmer's daughter who had both been through so much over the past year or so.

It was hard to tell just how long it had been since the outbreak had occurred; just how long it had been since the beautiful, yet painful, world they both had lived in had gone to complete shit. The only thing they could go by is the nine months that Lori had carried Judith in her womb, and the passing seasons that followed after her death. Everyone in the group had given up keeping exact track of time; they would celebrate birthdays according to seasons, and they knew about what time it was when the sun was at its highest point, and of course dusk and dawn. Other than that , the day ran into weeks, weeks ran into months, and months eventually ran into years…though each passing day felt like a new eternity in the lost world.

They had been separated from their group when their _home_ had fallen at the hands of a nasty man, some of their people had been hurt, some had been killed, and many men and women on the opposing team had also met their makers. It had been gruesome, and it had been heartbreaking…but they knew they had to press on, had to flee the morbid scene with the scent of death stuck in their lungs. Somehow in the midst of all of the mess, between trying to kill the Governor's people, trying to save themselves, and most importantly trying to save others, they had found themselves separated with no one else but each other. Just the two of them running for their lives and silently promising to stick with the other one until the end.

One of them stood tall, a husky man who would easily be looked at as a scruffy redneck at best until you got him on your side. Then he became a strong leader, an important person to have on your team; a professional with a crossbow, clean with a gun, and quick with a knife. A mystery for sure, but someone with eyes that cared deeply for others, a man who would put his life on the line for the safety of another. Someone you _definitely did not_ want to fuck with.

The other stood small, only about five foot three with big blue eyes that were full of youth and innocence. A sheltered farm girl who had been turned into a strong woman over the course of life changing events brought on by the outbreak. A part of her was still young and fragile, but another part of her was fearless and ready. She had lost the people who meant the most to her be it by death or separation, and her new found determination was fierce. She was definitely a sight for sore eyes, but she was learning quickly how to become a threat to the dangerous. An intelligent beauty who's world was lost at the hands of hell itself.

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"_There were hard times. I know I survived just because you stayed by my side. With all I have, with all I am, I promise you all my life…"_

Daryl Dixon was woken sharply from a hazy sleep by an almost unfamiliar sound filling the air. He moved slightly, careful not to move to fast as he needed the tension in his body to slowly release. The flat couch he had been asleep on had done nothing for his already sore body, but the few hours of sleep he had managed to get did make him feel a little less like death. He was worn out both mentally and physically, his emotions were a jumbled mess deep inside him, and on top of it all he was simply exhausted, defeated even by the treacherous past week the two of them had endured.

"_Whenever the road is too long, whenever the wind is too strong, wherever this journey may lead to, I will be there for you. Oh, I will be there for you…"_

Beth Greene sang the words softly, finding new meaning behind the lyrics of an old and forgotten song. She moved quietly and quickly, not wanting to wake the sleeping man from his rest, knowing that he probably needed sleep more than her, and hoping that by the time he woke up she could have the place ready enough to stay in for a few nights.

After the incident at the prison, the two of them had ran to his bike and drove, but after many long hours, the bike finally gave way, running out of gas and leaving them stranded at dusk with no food, no vehicle, and seeming like no chance of survival. Somehow, they had managed to make it through; running on foot by night for hours until they were buckling over in pain, and resting only brief moments of time during the daylight before running some more, feeling like they weren't getting anywhere…until finally they did. A small cottage in the middle of a large grassy field. Seemingly safe and surrounded by forest. It was forever, but for now, it was perfect.

"_Through sorrow, on the darkest night, when there's heartache deep down inside. Just like a prayer, you will be there, and I promise you all of my life…"_

After moments of soaking in the sweet sound of her voice, Daryl finally sat up, scrubbing his face with his filthy hands as he did so. It had been months since he had last heard her sing, since anyone other than Judith had heard her sing. It was a nice sound after a tiring run and somewhat a light in the darkness that was the world they were surviving in.

Slowly and quietly he stood up from the uncomfortable couch and followed her soft voice through the house, noticing the little things as he did so. He didn't know just how long she had been up and moving around, but by the looks of it she'd been up for a while. There were piles here and there of things that they needed, luxuries that they could use, and other random bits that would make life easier. A warm smile played on his dry lips as he finally found his way to where she was, moving softly around a large bedroom and she examined blankets and pillows, tossing the bloodied ones to the floor beside the bed while folding and stacking the usable ones on the mattress.

"_Whenever the road is too long, whenever the wind is too strong, wherever this journey may lead to, I will be there for you. Oh, I will always be there for you."_

"Hey."

His rough voice broke through her singing as her startled blue eyes looked his way. Daryl was now leaning up against the doorframe of the bedroom, his eyes resting on her as he watched her finish folding the blanket that was in her hand before setting it gently on top of the small pile that was on the bed. After only a moment, she finally turned her body towards him while grabbing a pillow and beginning to tousle it within her small, thin hands. Finally, her soft voice broke the silence as she looked at him with tired, thought filled eyes.

"Hey."

**Read, review, follow, and enjoy! Let me know what you all think…**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I want to thank all of you followed and those of you who reviewed. It really means a lot and makes me want to update even quicker.**

**I do have to be honest, though…I'm not 100% certain where I'm going with this story, so any input in what you all want to see would be greatly appreciated. Like I said before, I'm finally getting back into writing, and I absolutely love The Walking Dead and the Daryl/Beth pairing, so I figured I'd start here. Enjoy!**

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"Why ya starin' at me like that?"

Her voice was void of nearly all emotion, though a slightly amused smile toyed at the corners of her lips. "I didn't mean to wake ya, an' if I did then I'm sorry!"

Beth tossed the pillow she'd been fussing with to the other side of the bed before turning her body away from Daryl, who was still leaning in the doorway, and grabbed another blanket from the small pile that lay on the dusty floor next to where she stood. She bit her bottom lip gently as she held it up towards the dim sunlight that was pouring through the window. She scrunched her face up in disgust as she tossed the blanket to the floor, watching it land amongst the other bloody blankets on the floor before turning and grabbing another one from the floor.

This blanket was small, not even large enough to use if she were going to cuddle up on the couch with a cup of tea and a movie…not that she would be doing that anyway, but it was the way she could tell the blanket belonged to a baby. It was pink and still soft, frayed on the sides where it was missing some of the silk outline. The baby had been a girl, and judging by the amount of blood stains on the blanket, Beth could only assume the girl had not made it.

Beth let out a jagged sigh as she tossed the blanket to the floor, turning around completely so the back of her legs now hit the bed as she sank down into the mattress, leaning forward as she rested her elbows on her knees, her face buried in the palms of her hands. "What're we 'posed to do?" She looked up at Daryl who was shooting her a slightly confused look, but still remaining silent.

"I mean, where are we 'posed to go? We can't stay here, this place ain't safe." She pulled her legs up onto the bed, keeping her knees against her chest as she rested her chin on her knees, wrapping her arms around her legs now as she stared blankly at the wall, the silence that she was greeted by from Daryl doing nothing but driving her mad…momentarily insane even. "Sure, we're good for a few days, but I can hear the groans in the distance. The walkers? They ain't far, and I'm sure as hell that they're gonna catch up with us!"

Daryl sighed as she crossed his arms over his chest and let his dark eyes stare down at the younger girl. The house that they had come across was safe for now, probably for a few weeks, maybe even longer, but he did know that Beth was right. It had seemed that as time passed, the senses of the walkers had only heightened and their need to feed made them a bit quicker and a bit more of a threat. Not to mention the fact that Daryl wasn't one who had the desire to stay holed up in the small house with Beth. A few days of resting and looting would do them well, but anything more than that and he was certain he would go crazy.

He ran a dirty hand through his greasy hair as he kept his eyes on her for only a moment. "We'll figure it out, Beth."

* * *

Her words, as innocent and full of fear as they had been, had struck the wrong chord within Daryl and simply angered him. Neither of them were dumb enough to think they could build a home in the middle nowhere, even if the walkers didn't get them, they'd run out of the things they needed to survive, and it wasn't as if there was a town a mile away they could go to for runs. They needed to figure out their next step; needed to figure out if they wanted to head North with the hope of running into the other, or if their sole purpose before doing anything was to be reunited with their family. They needed to get somewhere that provided some bit of safety, and while they had a few days to play with, Daryl didn't want to waste time or risk not finding the others.

He grumbled lines of curse words and he pulled his face from under the hood of the sedan, wiping a greasy hand across his forehead as he did so. After his run in with Beth and after her wondering question of what to do had shook him, he had left the cottage, intending to find something to shoot, but stopping short when he came across a garage. He had readied his crossbow for a battle when he lifted the door open, but much to his surprise, there was no war. Instead he found just one walker – which he had easily and silently taken down – tons of rusted tools, a bicycle with a broken handlebar and one wheel missing, and an old Honda sedan. It wasn't exactly the ideal car for their circumstance, but it was better than nothing, and with a bit of work, Daryl was certain he could get it up and running, at least until they came across something better.

When he had come across the run down garage, he had expected a bunch of walkers holed up in there, just like the barn had been at the farmhouse. When he had found the vehicle, he had hoped like hell it would start, but not at all to his surprise, it didn't. He'd been leaning over it now for nearly an hour and dusk was beginning to fall. He had messed around with wires and fidgeted with other such things before deciding that some spark plugs and belts was probably all it needed, and looking around the garage he was almost certain he could find what he needed if he looked hard enough. The job itself would take him a few days, but if he was successful, then they could be on their way.

"It's gettin' dark ya know?" Her voice broke through the frustrated silence that filled the air of the garage.

Daryl clenched his fists as he turned his attention to her, not angry at her but angry with the fact that he was out of time. Soon night would fall and they would have stay huddled up in the house until light broke through at dawn.

"Whatya doin' anyhow?" It was clear to tell that the car wasn't working, but the expression on Daryl's face wasn't one that told her if the car would work, or if it would remain in the garage and they would remain without a vehicle.

Daryl shrugged. "It'll take a few days, but I think I can get it ta work."

"I got lucky, ya know?" She paused, taking a step into the garage as she glanced over her shoulder at the setting sun. "I know ya have lots of respect for my daddy, and I seen you lookin' at Maggie enough to know you got lots of respect for her too. I know you'll keep me safe too, not let nothin' happen to me that my daddy or Mag's wouldn't want to happen ta me."

Daryl stared at her, a look of confusion filled his dark eyes as he pushed himself up off the car.

"I mean, I know I ain't a good match in all this mess. But I promise I'm gonna work on it, I'm gonna do everything I can to make you feel lucky ta have me too." She nodded her head as she spoke honestly, a look of pure determination in her eyes. "Daddy always said that everything always happens for a reason. Maybe we're 'posed to be stuck with each other."

Daryl let out a soft chuckle as he picked up on the slight amusement that rang out through her voice. He was stuck with her, but she was much stronger and able than she let people believe. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad and she would end up saving him. He smiled at his thoughts as he made his way over to her, the sun now nearly gone as the moon lit up the sky. Placing his hand on her upper back, he gently turned her around and began walking with her towards the house, knowing they needed to secure everything before turning in for a restless night's sleep. "Come on Beth, we gotta go."

**I'm not completely satisfied with this chapter. Hopefully the next one will be better.**

**Read, review, follow, and let me know what you think…**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing…nothing at all. ):**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So I've finally figured out my idea for where exactly (I think) I want this story to go as far as storylines go. It's still going to take me a few chapters to get into the flow of everything again, but now that I know where I'm going with it, the chapters should pick up pretty quickly.**

**I also want to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed so much. Seriously, feedback is the thing that drives me to write, and knowing that people actually wants more makes me want to give more. Plus it's nice simply because I've been away from the writing game for so long and this is my first story in ages. So thank you all so much! Feedback is appreciated and enjoyed.**

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Darkness fell fast as her long legs pushed on, her boot covered feet hitting the ground with a heavy thud as she ran, her breath was deep and stuck in her throat as she struggled to breath, yet still kept pushing on. They had lost count of the day, lost track of where they were, and simply couldn't get to where they were going. They had lost one along the way, his injury getting the better of him, the walkers catching up to them. It had been a horrible sight and a sinking feeling had settled into her gut, but together they had to trek on. They were going to make it; they were determined to find their family, find the ones closest too them. They both had so much to lose, yet at the same time they had nothing at all.

Finally unable to take anymore running, Maggie brought herself to a slow stop, bending at the waist and placing her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. "I'm….sorry…"

Sasha shook her head softly, more than out of breath herself as she moved around lightly trying to calm her own breathing and nerves down. She let her brown eyes wonder over to the thin girl who she had been running with for what felt like weeks before looking down at herself. They looked like they had been through hell and back with many miles more to travel. Their clothes were torn and bloody, their skin a shade darker just from how dirty they were. They were once headed in the right direction, but now completely turned around due to a herd of unexpected walkers.

"Shit…" Sasha muttered a little louder than expected as she moved closer to Maggie. Maggie's head shot up at the sound she knew Sasha was talking about, the sound of tires and the roaring of an engine. As if on cue, both ladies turned their gaze to the road they had been running along, spotting an unfamiliar vehicle coming their way. "We gotta go Maggie!"

* * *

"It's about fuckin' time!" There was sound of celebration in his voice as the engine of the old Honda finally roared to life. He had spent the past three days doing nothing but hunting for food, and failing at finding anything, and working under the hood of the beat up car. Finally, after hours and hours of blood and sweat he could call himself successful. He had to tell Beth.

Beth was settled in under a few blankets on the flat couch, her eyes growing heavy as she skimmed the lines of the dusty book that she was holding loosely in her lap. Among raiding the entire house for things that would be useful to them on the road, she had come across some small things that were simply nice to have. She'd come across a small box of makeup – not exactly something she needed at all, but was nice to have to remind her of what her life use to be. She had also found tons of bathroom things – toilet paper, amazing shampoos, conditioners, and soaps for both men, women, and babies. She'd found a few books, articles of clothing, and even an iPod. Of course, the music device didn't work, and there was no way to make it work…but she was still going to take it with her. Just in case.

"BETH…Beth!?"

Beth sat up, dropping the book to her lap as she heard him call out her name, his booming voice filling up the entire house as she heard his anxious footsteps growing closer.

"Daryl?" She spoke as if it were more of a question, though she knew it was him coming. Her big blue eyes were wide with confusion as he stepped into the living room with a goofy grin on his face.

"The car's ready! I figure we can sleep jus' one more night here, then hit the road when the sun comes back up?" He paused. "It's too late ta leave ta-night. Startin' to get dark outside."

The petite blonde stood up, nodding her head as her blue eyes met his and she offered him a bright smile. "That sounds amazin'! I'll start loading all the stuff into the trunk tomorrow morning while you're out lookin' for food." Beth paused for just a moment at the mention of food, knowing that Daryl hadn't been having luck finding anything for the past few days. "I found a few cans of food we can eat tonight. I was waiting for you to come in, so I left them in the kitchen."

The remaining hours before they finally settled into the bed were spent eating the cans of food until they were happy and full, making a bit of small talk among the two of them about the foods they missed, the rest of their survivor family, and if they thought there were more survivors out there just waiting to be found. They had ended the night happy, both settling in to their own sides of the bed but sharing the oversized blanket between the two of them. All in all it seemed like the day had gone well, the night had ended good, and in the morning they would be on their way to find something new, and hopefully find their friends along the way.

Of course, some things were just too good to be true.

"Daryl! What's going on?" Beth's voice was hushed, but full of concern as she sat up in the bed, shooting her entire body closer to Daryl's, she could tell she had only been asleep for a few hours by how dark it was outside.

Daryl looked around the room slowly, squeezing her thigh before he slowly slipped out of the bed and made his way over to the window, his eyes growing wide and his face draining of emotion as he peered through the blanket they had hung to block the light. "Motherfucker!" He cursed under his breath before turning back to Beth.

"It's the damn walkers." He lowered his voice. "And I'm not talkin' bout just a few of 'em either."

Beth nodded her head as she slipped out from under the blanket, she slipped her feet into her boots as she began making her way calmly around the house, knowing that she had a job to do. She was just about to make her way around the house and gather the things she'd set aside for them to use when she felt a strong arm pull her closer to him.

"Come on Beth…We gotta go, now."

**Once again, not completely satisfied, but I'm getting there. Please, please leave me feedback; let me know what you think. Enjoy and have an amazing holiday! (:**


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